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ChoreMonster, a web and mobile program that “makes chores fun for kids
and turns parents into superheroes,” is just one of 11 nascent
businesses hand-selected by Disney to participate in its
first-ever startup accelerator program.

After calling for applicants in February, each nominated venture
will now receive $120,000 in investment capital and mentoring from top Disney executives --
including its chairman and CEO, Robert Iger -- over the next
15 weeks.

The program will conclude with a Demo Day in October.

While 10 businesses were originally supposed to be chosen, Disney
ultimately tapped 11 that represent “a diverse cross-section of
technology-driven media and entertainment from many different
geographies,” the company said.

A number of the winning companies unsurprisingly create products
for children. Codarica, for instance, vends digital
education products aimed to teach kids how to code; Twigtale helps parents create personalized
children’s books addressing various childhood transitions; and
Ubooly is a customizable stuffed animal
that can talk and listen.

Other winners stake their claim in the realm of cutting-edge
tech. These include Sphero, which creates robots that can be
controlled with smart devices, and SnowShoe, a manufacturer of special
plastics that can interact with touchscreens.

"With Disney Accelerator we are now bringing the creativity and
imagination of Disney to early stage startups in a way we have
never done before," the company’s EVP of corporate strategy and
business development, Kevin Mayer, said in a statement. “We look
forward to sharing our knowledge with this excellent group of
creative entrepreneurs and really making a difference with these
startup companies."